Two week vacation to the glorious island of Bali, summer 2010.
Bali is culturally fascinating -- full of very happy and cooperative people unlike any place I've seen. Here are some interesting tidbits/observances:
Bali is an amazing isolated place whose people typically lives communally and is based off of the agriculture of rice. Despite being part of Islamic Indonesia, the vast majority (70%+) of the people are Hindu (with a mix of Animism from Bali's indigenous roots).
There are three main volcanoes in central/northern Bali (very sparsely populated) where the waters run south to the jungle-like central region of Ubud and its surroundings. The coasts are typically dry and more arid, with reefs and surf attracting foreigners.
The rainwater runoff is a shared resource and Bali is a vast network of canals, irrigation, and rice terraces. The highways are nearly all north/south -- the east/west passages are mostly narrow and twisty going up and down through canyons and waterways.
It is the only place in the world that speaks... Balinese! 8-)
We saw everything we could, ate their amazing food, and tried to soak up as much Balinese culture as we could!
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